


With This Ring

by CocotteJenn



Series: Kallian Tabris (aka the Elves in Luuuv worldstate) [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Blood and Violence, Canonical Character Death, City Elf Origin, F/M, Heavy Angst, Slight Canon Divergence, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-17
Packaged: 2019-06-28 16:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15710937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CocotteJenn/pseuds/CocotteJenn
Summary: In their last moments together, Tabris knows she would have grown to love Nelaros.





	With This Ring

“Nelaros! No!” **  
**

She barely gives the guards any time to react. They die quickly, blood gushing out of their throats. It’s more mercy than they deserve, but Kallian doesn’t have time for a fight. She falls to her knees next to her young fiancé. Blood starts soaking through her dress. His blood. “Hold on, we’ll get you out of here!”

“I don't… I don’t think I can…” he grunts through gritted teeth.

“We’ll find you a healer… we’ll find… someone! Anyone!” She looks up at Soris, her distress clear on her face, but her cousin only shakes his head in sorrow. The wound on Nelaros’ chest is large and deep. Kallian tries to cover it with her hands, but his blood keeps slipping through them. They couldn’t possibly move him without spilling half of his insides on the floor. And who would bother to save an elf, anyway?

Nelaros sobs, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“You can’t die,” she whimpers. “We still have to get married… We’ll spend the rest of our lives together…” Her voice croaks, and for a moment the room falls silent.

_I will spend every waking moment learning to make you happy._

He tries to smile, but his face contorts in a painful grimace. “I was looking forward to that… I wish… I wish… we’d had more time…”

“Me too…” She barely feels the tears starting to roll down her cheeks, blending with the dried blood smeared all over her face.

“We won’t grow old together, but… maybe…” He fumbles to take something out of his jacket’s pocket. The stiff movement draws a hiss of pain from him. She tries to help him by reaching for the object herself. She digs into his pocket and her fingers caress a small metallic object. She gasps, her eyes growing wide in recognition. She rubs her hands on her wedding dress in an attempt to clean them. It doesn’t do much, the dress is already wet with blood, but she gives him the small band and extends her left hand toward him regardless. “Kallian Tabris, with this ring… I thee wed.” With trembling hands, he slides the ring around her finger.

She cups his face with her hands, drawing small circles along his cheeks with her thumbs. Slowly, she bends down to give him a tender kiss. Warm tears fall from eyes and drip onto his face. They have known each other for less than a day, but she knows he is a good man. Only a good man would risk everything for someone they don’t even know. In time, she would have grown to love him, she’s sure of it. “Would you make me a promise before I go?” he asks in a murmur.

“Of course, anything.” She expects him to ask for Lord Vaughan’s head.

He gives her a soft smile. “Live your life. Be happy. Laugh with all your heart. Love with all your soul,” he tells her between ragged breaths. “The one who gets to spend the rest of their life with you will be a very lucky person. Promise me you will… Promise me…” The light in his eyes disappears as he draws his last breath.

Kallian breaks down and starts wailing, her body shaking with uncontrolled tremors. A hand comes to rest on her shoulder. Soris is hesitant, almost as if afraid that she would crumble under his touch. “We can’t stay here, Cuz.” She looks up and her eyes meet her cousin’s. There’s a deep sadness in them, but also worry and anger. “We still have to find the other girls.”

Kallian stands up, taking a deep breath to give herself strength. She wipes the tears off her face with the sleeves of her stained wedding dress, leaving a trail of blood in their place.  _It’s the wrong color,_  she thinks.  _It shouldn’t be red. It wasn’t red before…_

“I’ll kill them all. They will pay for everything they’ve done.”

_Lord Vaughan’s head will roll on the floor, this I can promise you._


End file.
